The German
fighter pilot was taking a great risk. He had seen the faces of the wounded
crewmen and decided to spare the damaged B-17 and more—to escort the
plane out of Germany.

If a
civilian or soldier on the ground reported him, the fighter pilot would
face a firing squad. In the eyes of his country during war, he was a traitor.
But to the defenseless American crew, he was their guardian.

Now,
they had hopes of reaching England again, thanks to the mysterious German
ace who held his fire. One day, the crew would know his name—Franz
Stigler. In 1990, they’d invite Franz to their bomb group reunion
where they’d introduce their families to the man who gave them the
greatest of gifts—the chance to live.

*
screen colors may vary from print colors

LOW
SUPPLY!

390 prints,
each numbered and signed by artist Nick
Trudgian. Includes 8 veteran signatures. Now issuing:

Only 180 prints,
each numbered and
signed by artist Nick Trudgian. Comes
with 18 veteran signatures including
Franz Stigler & Charlie Brown!

PACKAGE
INCLUDES:
- A relic from a Bf 109 that flew combat over Germany
- A relic from a B-17 that flew combat over Germany
- Photo of Franz & Charlie to frame with your print-
Color COA with "History Behind the Art" story

Only
190 prints, each numbered and signed by artist Nick Trudgian. Comes
with 14 signatures including that of Franz Stigler!

PACKAGE
INCLUDES:
- A relic from a B-17 that flew combat over Germany
- Photo of Franz & Charlie to frame with your print-
Color COA with "History Behind the Art" story

All
prints are sold unframed

An
Artist Reserve edition of 30 prints, bearing two signatures, and 30 canvas
giclees, will be for sale via Nick Trudgian.
A Signer Proof edition of 100 prints exists for print signers and helpers.
A Valor Studios giclee edition may be released in the future.

Watch
Franz and Charlie describe their famous encounter!

Film courtesy
of Joe Jackson

THE
STORY BEHIND THE RELIC
FROM THE B-17G "CHAMPAGNE GIRL"

The
B-17G “Champagne Girl” was one of the first eleven natural metal
finish B-17s assigned to the 323rd Squadron of the 91st Bomb Group at Bassingbourn,
England.

During
the July 19, 1944 mission to destroy the Luftwaffe Lechfeld airfield, near
Augsburg, Germany, the B-17 “Champagne Girl” was heavily damaged
in a mid-air collision. The plane entered a spin, revolving five times, before
the pilot recovered control. He flew the damaged aircraft to nearby Switzerland,
where the entire crew bailed out and were safely interned for the duration
of the war.

Our metal relics, taken from the tail section, were recovered by a friend
of Valor Studios who specializes in aircraft wrecks throughout the Swiss Alps.

THE
STORY BEHIND THE RELIC
FROM Bf-109 #441059

Manufactured
in April 1944, Bf-109G-6 Wnr. 441059 was assigned to a Luftwaffe fighter group
flying Reich Defense missions.

In May or
June of 1944, the aircraft was shot down while attacking 8th Air Force bombers.
It crashed near Lake Attersee in Austria, where the aircraft remained until
recovery in the 1990s.

The aircraft
remains underwent a complete restoration, though the pieces we received were
not in a condition to be used.

Our relics
come from the cowling and fuselage sections of the aircraft, and in some cases,
still carry the original paint and markings from 1944!

A
brilliant collection of rare signatures from . . .
Franz Stigler and Charlie Brown, depicted in the scene!
The boys of the Mighty Eighth Air Force!
Pilots of the German Air Force, now US citizens!

Nicolas Trudgian was born
and raised in Plymouth, England. His father and uncle both served in the RAF
during World War II and so his childhood was filled with stories about the
air war in Britain, North Africa and the far east.

Nick began showing a real
talent for art at an early age and his surroundings gave him the perfect inspiration
to fill sketchbooks with drawings of aircraft, ships and also trains. His
family encouraged him but were concerned about Nick's growing desire of turning
this hobby into a full time career, a notoriously risky occupation. But Nick
was determined and occupied every spare hour with painting and drawing.

Five years at art college
further equipped him with the skills necessary to paint technical subjects
with authority. Soon the commissions came flooding in, mostly illustrations
for companies such as Rolls Royce, Ford, General Motors and British Aerospace,
air lines and oil companies.

His agents tended to find
him work that involved transport, mechanical and military subjects especially
where landscapes and lighting could be used to create spectacular
backdrops, something that has become a virtual trademark of his art.

It
was this aspect that no doubt attracted his first aviation art publisher who
asked Nick to paint aircraft pictures for him in oils. It was an instant success
and so Nick gave up the commercial illustration work to paint instead pictures
for aviation art prints. In the past 20 years Nick has had published more
than 150 full size color prints and countless pencil and smaller prints.

Nick
as he signs "The Guardian."

His work is collected
worldwide and especially in the United States where he has attended numerous
art shows and gained many friends. His work has been exhibited, amonst other
places, in the Smithsonian, the Pentagon and Britain's Imperial War Museum.

He lives with his wife
Ruth in the Cotswold hills in Gloucestershire, England, very fittingly in
the corner of what was once a Battle of Britain airfield. The site has long
since returned to agriculture. Open fields provide a far-reaching view from
his studio window but Nick says that if you know where to look the tell tail
evidence of the war is still all around and it's easy to imagine Spitfires
roaring overhead. ''It's a perfect place to recreate scenes from the past
as a reminder of the sacrifices made by our parents generation.''

Valor
Studios wishes to thank the following for their assistance with this project:
The Brown family, Helga Stigler, Mike Hart, The Wings Over the Rockies
museum, and the distinguished veterans who made this print possible.